Skirt-lifter



(No Mom-,1.)

M. R. LUCAS.

y SKIRT LINER. A No. 603,567 Patented May 3,1898.

WITNESSES [NVENTOR wi?? M i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARY R. LUCAS, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

SKIRT-LIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.V 603,567, dated May 3, 1898.

Application led .Tune 80, 1897. Serial No. 642,986. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARY R. LUCAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skirt-Lifting Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to skirt-lifting devices, and is for improvements upon Patent No. 580,053, granted me April 6, 1897.

The object of the present invention is to greatly simplify inventions of this class, and to produce a practical skirt-lifting device for use in connection with any style of skirt, garment, mackintoshes, (itc. and a further object is tov provide an improved clasp or fastening device for securing the skirt-lifter readily to the garment and in such a manner that the clasps will not mutilate or tear the skirt; and the invention consists of further improved adjustments and details which will I hereinafter be more fully and clearly pointed out in the specification and claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in connection with the specification, wherein corresponding letters indicate like parts in the several views, and in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the improved clasp, the same being shown as attached to the lowerend of a suspension-strap and in an open position. Fig. 3 is a detail of the device, showing the rear suspensionstrap and cords for adjusting the same either in sidewise or in a verticaldirection.

In the drawings, A refers to the skirt-lifting device, which is comprised of a belt A',

having a horizontal slot ot in its rear middleV i a3 is a suitable buckling device for securing said belt to the waist of the person using the same.

B are skirt-supporting straps of suitable length secured, one on each side of the belt, about midway between its front and rear portions and forwardly inclined,as shown, which y positions are found to be better adapted to hold the skirts in a proper position and for the manipulations of the device. The upper ends of these straps may be secured to the belt in any well-known manner. C is a similar depending strap which is secured to the rear middle portion, preferably in a manner to permit side and vertical adjustments, and when so used the upper part of the strap c embraces the belt A' as a sleeve thereon and has a suitable button c', secured to the interior of the outside portion of said sleeve, which engages in slot a of the belt. Cord o. is secured to this button c in any well-known manner, and by this means said sleeve and depending strap are adjustable along said belt from right to left, or vice versa, by manipulating the ends of the cord passing through the apertures at the front of the belt.

The depending strap C may be constructed hollow and have a button c2 sewed or fastened to its interior about midway of its length, to which a cord c3 maybe secured and from that point pass upwardly over button c' and pass toward the right through the belt and through aperture 0.2 and be suitably attached to the end o of the rst-mentioned cord. This second cord c3 is only used for vertically adj usting the rear strap and acts independently of cord a'.

D is the improved clasp, which is constructed of suitable material, preferably steel wire, and is of rectangular shape. At its upper end is formed a suitable head portion CZ for attachment to the supporting-strap near its lower end by sewing, riveting, or otherwise, and adjacent to this head portion is a strengthening-strip d', upon which is formed a catch d2. The lower sides of this main portion of the clasp are corrugated, as shown, and to its bottom di is secured a folding part E, having its sides e similarly corrugated and so arranged that when this lower portion folds upwardly against the upper or main part D these corrugations will fit closely together, the projections of one falling into the depressions of the other.

e e2 are two suitable strengthening-ribs se- IOO cured to the sides of the lower folding part of the clasp, one near its hinge e3 and forming part thereof and the other midway of its length, and between these two ribs is suitably secured a safety-pin f, which may be used in connection with said clasp whenever desired to hold a skirt more securely in place or independently thereof when it is found more convenient. At the lower end of part E of the clasp is formed a suitable latch e4 for engagement with catch d2 when the clasp is closed. The lower ends of the depending or supporting straps may extend to the latch e4 and be similarly secured to the corrugated sides of the clasp. This covers up the clasp when it is closed and gives the device a neater appearance.

In the operation of the skirt-lifter the belt is first secured to the waist of a person. The skirts are then adjusted to the proper height and secured at the sides and back at that height by means of the clasps upon the lower ends of the supporting-straps. The rear supporting-strap C may be adjusted either laterally or vertically by means of cords a and c3, as before described, and it is evident that similar adjustments may be similarly applied to the straps B when desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- A 1. A skirt-lifting device comprising of a hollow belt, having a slot in rear portion, a supporting-strap secured to said belt over the slotted portion, supporting-straps depending from the sides of said belt, securing devices upon the lower ends of said straps, and means to adjust the rear strap laterally from the front of the belt, substantially as described and set forth.

2. The combination in a skirt-supporting device of a belt having a horizontal slot in its rear portion, a supporting-strap secured t0 said belt over the slotted portion, supportingstraps secured to the sides of said belt, folding clasps secured to the lower ends of the supporting-straps, and means to adjust the rear strap in a vertical and lateral direction from the front of the belt, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARY R. LUCAS.

Witnesses:

T. B. TAYLOR, Jr., F. J. SUTGLIFFE. 

